The Milan News-Leader
A Heritage Newspaper
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Quarry to host auction Tuesday
Owner hopes to develop land into luxury homes
By Lisa Allmendinger, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: November 6, 2008
Temporarily coexisting with blue heron and mallards at a shuttered London Township quarry is a mini-city of tractors, front-end loaders and backhoes.
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Owner Mark Brant has leased 35 acres of his 700-acre gravel quarry to Ritchie Brothers Auctioneers for a public auction of heavy construction equipment, which are expected to sell Tuesday for up to $8 million.
Although Brant said he would like to develop the property he purchased about three years ago to include luxury homes, for now he's happy to see a temporary adaptive reuse of the land by Ritchie Brothers.
"We've already had inquires from people in Alaska, Jordon, Puerto Rico and Dubai," said Steve Gorman, the territory manager for Ritchie Brothers eastern Michigan region.
The company, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary, holds auctions around the world and is the largest industrial auction company in the world, Gorman said.
About 200 to 300 people are expected on site, while another 100 to 200 people are expected to witness the auction online.
Brant said the influx of people to local hotels and restaurants would be good for the local economy.
Last week, employees of the company were seen sandblasting, washing and painting all the equipment in preparation for the auction, which will begin at 9 a.m.
There were boom lifts, forklifts, conveyors, scales, dump trucks, hydraulic excavators, cranes, backhoes and crushers, to name a few. About 450 pieces of equipment are expected to be on site by Nov. 11.
The London Township gravel pit was chosen because it fits the auction company's criteria, which includes a close proximity to an airport and its location on a road that is capable of handling the heavy machinery.
"Mark and the township have been great to work with and it has been easy to get permits," Gorman said.
Brant said the company signed an environmental agreement so there would be no impact on the land.
In the first three quarters of 2008, Gorman said the company has grossed $2.7 billion in sales through on-site and live Internet bidding.
"They have an auction almost every day somewhere in the world," Brant said.
For more information about the auction, visit the Web site www.rbauction.com.
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